Once Liam's identity was revealed, the atmosphere around him shifted instantly. The curious glances from before turned into eager smiles, and the business elites present began looking at him with clear admiration, even a hint of flattery. In their eyes, he was no longer just an unfamiliar face—he was someone who held real power within Stark Industries.
Tony leaned in, throwing an arm over Liam's shoulder as if nothing had changed, and lowered his voice with a grin. "Hey, why'd you bring a dance partner, Weiss?"
Liam raised an eyebrow slightly, clearly unimpressed by the question. "What? You're saying I'm not allowed to bring one?"
"No, no, that's not what I mean," Tony said quickly, waving it off. Then he gestured toward the crowd of elegantly dressed women nearby, many of them dressed far more provocatively than subtly. "I just figured you knew how this works. There are plenty of beauties here tonight, and even if you're just slightly less handsome than me, you'd still have no trouble charming a few of them."
Liam rolled his eyes at that, his tone dry. "Do I look like I'd be interested in any of them?"
Tony followed his gaze instinctively and turned to look at Clarice standing a short distance away. It was only then that he truly noticed her.
For a brief moment, even Tony Stark was stunned.
He had seen countless beautiful women in his life—thousands, if not more—but none of them had ever given him the same sense of impact as the girl standing there. There was something about her that went beyond appearance, something that made her stand out effortlessly from the rest.
Tony slowly turned back to Liam and gave him a thumbs-up, a trace of envy flickering across his face. "Yeah… you might actually be right."
"Obviously." Liam smirked slightly, completely unapologetic.
"Hey, Tony!" A voice called out just then, cutting into their conversation.
A man in a military uniform approached, his posture straight and his expression composed. Tony immediately lit up when he saw him and waved him over.
"Rhodey, perfect timing. Come here, let me introduce you." Tony pulled him closer and gestured toward Liam. "This is Liam Hayes—my… good friend. And that over there is his dance partner."
Then he turned back to Liam. "This is Colonel James Rhodes."
"Mr. Hayes, it's a pleasure," Rhodes said warmly, extending his hand. "Tony told me a bit about you. Thank you for bringing him back."
Liam shook his hand with a relaxed smile, already familiar with the man. In another timeline, Rhodes would become the one to inherit one of Tony's armors, eventually known as War Machine.
"Colonel Rhodes, nice to meet you."
Rhodes then glanced toward Clarice, his expression turning appreciative. "And this must be your partner. She's absolutely stunning."
"Thank you," Clarice replied softly, offering a polite smile.
"Hey now, that's not fair," Tony suddenly interjected, placing a hand over his chest as if offended. "I was just about to invite this beautiful lady to dance."
"Sorry, I don't dance," Clarice replied immediately, her refusal gentle but firm.
Tony sighed dramatically. "What a shame."
Liam's expression turned mock-serious as he glanced at him. "Tony, inviting my partner right in front of me? That's a little disrespectful."
Tony shrugged, completely unfazed. "It's a dance. If the lady agrees, anyone can invite her. That's how it works." Then he turned back to Clarice with a charming smile. "By the way, I didn't catch your name."
"Clarice."
"Beautiful name," Tony said smoothly, then looked back at Liam with a knowing grin. "You can't keep your girlfriend on too tight a leash, Weiss. She needs her own space. Trust me—I've got plenty of experience with women."
Liam couldn't help but laugh at that. "For a so-called expert, you're surprisingly inexperienced."
Tony frowned slightly. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You've never actually been in a real relationship."
"That's ridiculous. Everyone in New York knows me—"
"They know your reputation," Liam cut in calmly. "Not your experience."
Tony opened his mouth to argue, but the words didn't come as easily as before. Despite his countless flings, there was a truth he couldn't deny—when it came to something real, he had always hesitated.
"So what, you think I don't know how to confess?" Tony shot back, trying to recover his confidence.
Liam crossed his arms, a faint smile forming. "Alright. If you're so experienced, go confess to the woman behind you."
Tony instinctively turned around.
Pepper Potts was walking toward them, her expression carrying a mix of relief and mild frustration.
"Tony, I've been looking everywhere for you," she said, stopping in front of him. "So this is where you've been."
Tony froze.
All the confidence from moments ago vanished instantly, replaced by visible awkwardness. He looked at Pepper, then at Liam, clearly caught off guard.
"Come on, Tony," Liam said lightly, his tone full of amusement. "Show me that confidence of yours."
In truth, he had already noticed Pepper approaching earlier. Drawing Tony into that trap had been entirely intentional.
Tony shot him a helpless look before quickly turning back to Pepper. Without another word, he placed an arm around her shoulders and began guiding her away.
"Sorry, Weiss. Something important came up. I'll catch you later."
Liam watched him leave, unable to hold back a laugh.
Clarice tilted her head slightly, confusion written across her face. "Why did Mr. Stark suddenly become so nervous when he saw her?"
"That's Pepper Potts," Liam explained as he led her toward a quieter corner of the hall. "Tony's assistant. They like each other… but he doesn't have the courage to say it out loud."
Clarice blinked in surprise. "But I thought you said he was a playboy. Why would someone like that be afraid to confess?"
"He is a playboy," Liam said with a small smile. "But deep down, he's not as confident as he pretends to be."
Clarice nodded slowly, clearly thinking it over.
As the banquet progressed, the energy in the hall grew livelier. Music filled the air, and more guests began to gather on the dance floor.
Before long, men began approaching their table one after another.
"Miss, would you like to dance?"
"I'm sorry, not tonight," Clarice replied politely, shaking her head.
Each invitation was met with the same gentle refusal. Despite being the most eye-catching woman in the room, she showed no interest in dancing with anyone else.
Liam swirled the wine in his glass, sighing dramatically. "Strange. Why hasn't a single beautiful woman invited me to dance?"
Clarice turned toward him, about to respond, when a new figure approached.
She had long wine-red hair and a perfectly sculpted figure, her presence immediately drawing attention even in a room full of elites. Her steps were confident, her expression calm yet subtly alluring.
She stopped in front of Liam and smiled.
"May I have this dance?"
Liam looked up, a trace of surprise flashing across his eyes.
"Black Widow?"
Natasha Romanoff studied him carefully, curiosity flickering in her gaze. "So you do know who I am."
She had only recently returned from a mission, and upon her return to S.H.I.E.L.D., she had discovered something unusual. Nick Fury had established a new organization—the Avengers—and its clearance level had been set absurdly high.
Level nine.
In the entire organization, only a handful of individuals had access to that level of classified information.
What caught her attention even more was that her own name was listed among its members.
And alongside it—another name.
Liam Hayes.
A mutant.
And someone who had somehow become involved with S.H.I.E.L.D in a way that even she couldn't fully understand.
....
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